Story Archive

Bait and Switch

Nicholas Dudas Szabo, 26, and Mohammed Sameni, 27, rented a fishing boat from Pirate’s Cove Boat Club in Dunedin, Fla., headed about six miles off shore, chummed the water, and began to fish. Two hours later the men noticed they were taking on water — and say the bilge pump wasn’t working. According to them, they tried to radio for help, but the boat didn’t have a radio. They tried to use flares to signal their position, but say the flares were past their expiration date and didn’t work. The pair resorted to calling 911, and a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office marine crew found them floating in the water, about 50 yards from where the boat had sunk. Dudas Szabo and Sameni are now suing the boat company for damages of at least $15,000, claiming negligent infliction of emotional distress. They claim they were in fear for their lives and exposed to the elements — and the sharks that were attracted by the chum. (MS/Tampa Bay Times) ...Now they’ll deal with a more vicious species of shark: lawyers.